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[Richard230]

This review is a little different. The full-page article is in the March 2013 issue of City Bike and is written by Maynard Hershon, a longtime monthly contributor to the magazine. The article is on page 21 and is titled "Finally, An attractive Option".  Mr. Hershon was asked to visit Grand Prix Motorsports located in Littleton, south of Denver, CO and go for a test ride on a Zero.  He never mentioned the year model that he rode, but I assume it was a 2012 S, as he said the shop had about a dozen bikes on their showroom floor - along with a fully stocked gun store on the second floor.  :confused:  Maynard says that he didn't attempt to learn anything about electric motorcycles before he went into the shop for his 15-minute test ride (following a shop employee). He decided to approach the experience as your typical uninformed IC motorcycle rider would when checking out the bikes at a motorcycle shop.  After getting a few instructions about how the bike worked, he rode off and was immediately reassured about the bike's soft power delivery and reminded how much he liked small lightweight motorcycles.

Maynard goes on to say that "The motor just spins up without effort or fuss, making the smoothest conventional bike you've ever ridden seem rough and unsophisticated. The initial application of throttle gets you across the intersection at automobile pace but the acceleration seems to build without fuss or any sense that it'll ever end.  I saw 70 mph briefly on the digital speedo."  (Apparently he didn't notice that there was also an analog speedometer, for people who can't read digits.)  He goes on to mention that "My left foot and left hand did not miss changing gears. My ears did not miss the roar and rattle of internal combustion and a drive chain. I was happy on that little electric motorcycle."

He says that he wouldn't want a Zero for his only motorcycle, because he likes to take long journeys by bike. And concludes with:  "If these e-bikes are the future, hey, I'm okay with that future. I don't necessarily want to read about e-bikes, I want to read about MotoGP bikes and WSBK bikes. But I think I'd like to own an e-bike. If they get cheaper to buy and their range per charge gets longer, sign me right up."

[CliC]

I suppose in the absence of loud pipes, then .45s save lives

I don't ever look at the analog speedo, either. With 0 mph being at about 5:30, and all my normal riding being between there and around 8:00, I just can't get used to it.

[kcoplan]

said Clic,

I don't ever look at the analog speedo, either. With 0 mph being at about 5:30, and all my normal riding being between there and around 8:00, I just can't get used to it.

Yeah, I don't really get why the analog speedo on the Zero S goes up to something like 250 mph when the bike has a top speed of maybe 90 (slightly exaggerated) mph.

I guess it makes the bike look really impressive when it is parked at the curb and someone takes look 

--Karl

[Richard230]

The analog speedometer on my 2012 Zero S reads to 120 mph.

[WindRider]

Yes, I laugh at the top speed on the Zero Speedo... Someone in marketing probably insisted on the top speed being where it is or they used what is off the shelf and that was the most logical choice.

[trikester]

The explanation I was told is that the mph scale goes so high because the kph scale is on the same dial, using the same printed numbers. If it only went to 100 mph then at full scale in metric 100 kph would only be 62 mph and that's not high enough to cover the bikes top speed. To cover a range equal to 90 mph the scale has to go to 145 to indicate 145 kph when operating in metric.

Trikester

[Richard230]

The explanation I was told is that the mph scale goes so high because the kph scale is on the same dial, using the same printed numbers. If it only went to 100 mph then at full scale in metric 100 kph would only be 62 mph and that's not high enough to cover the bikes top speed. To cover a range equal to 90 mph the scale has to go to 145 to indicate 145 kph when operating in metric.

Trikester

Well at least that issue is gone in the 2013 models.  Now you get to see the motor revs, instead of an analog speed check of the digital speedometer.  Although what you are supposed to do with rpm knowledge on a direct-drive motorcycle, I am not quite sure.   

[kcoplan]

The explanation I was told is that the mph scale goes so high because the kph scale is on the same dial, using the same printed numbers. If it only went to 100 mph then at full scale in metric 100 kph would only be 62 mph and that's not high enough to cover the bikes top speed. To cover a range equal to 90 mph the scale has to go to 145 to indicate 145 kph when operating in metric.

Cool!  I think I am going to switch my display to kph so I can go REALLY FAST!

--Karl